Wrist watch band



April 12, 1949.

C. B. GREENBERG WRIST WATCH BAND Filed Nov. 18, 1948 I far/es yreenlery I N VEN TOR.

Patented Apr. 12, 1949 WRIST WATCH BAND Charles B. Greenberg, New York, N. Y., asslgnor to Algren Watch Findings Company, Inc, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application November 18, 1948, Serial No. 60,717

5 Claims.

My invention relates to bracelets or wrist watch bands, and more specifically, to expansible circlets.

The essence of this invention is the detachable registry of one strap end, and the slideable but undetachable registry of the other strap end with the strap body intermediate its ends and the overlapping of the ends of the strap.

The invention, in some respects, can be considered to be an improvement on the structure disclosed in my patent application entitled Detachable bar closure, filed September 10, 1948,

and bearing the Serial Number 48,682.

The band, in the present application, is formed with overlap-ping strap ends, one of which is provided with a loop and the other with side extending lugs or a laterally extending pin, and intermediate the ends With a slotted seating means capable of co-acting with the lugs or pin to retain its strap end in fixed position against the strap.

This band differs from the present bands and from the structure disclosed in the prior application in that it eliminates (1) the buckle and tongue, and (2), the usual spring urged hook or catch.

The provision of a loop instead of the buckle tongue and strap holes eliminates the necessity of forming a closure at one strap end. This materially aids in the ease and speed of adjusting the strap on the wrist. In addition, it increases the life of the strap as the holes are a source of weakness and the starting point for rips and tears.

An important feature of the band is the strap end lugs or pin registering in simple slots. This closure is based upon the realization that the expansion and flexibility of the human flesh on the wrist is sufiicient to take up the slack in the band produced by the seating of the lugs in the slots which extend backward toward the loop. This expansion of the flesh holds the band snugly and comfortably in position on the wrist and tightly enough to act as a locking means for the band and eliminates the need of a complicated spring or other positive acting catching means to retain the strap end. This simple slot catch is an inexpensive structure which is easily and quickly operated and one which will wear well as there are no spring tensioned contracting surfaces. An object of the invention is to provide a detachable band or strap which functions with a loop end instead of a buckle and tongue, and with" a clasp having a releasable catching means not employing spring retained elements.

Another object is to form a band in which the contracting elements of the clasp or catching means register loosely enough to prevent wear of the contracting surfaces.

A further object is to form a band or strap with a clasp or catch which utilizes the resilience, flexibility and compression of the human wrist to provide a means of registering the clasp elements and of retaining the band at a comfortable snugness.

Another object is to form a band or strap with a resilient end which aids in the unclasping or opening of the clasp.

A further object is to form a band which is inexpensive to manufacture and which is simple and easy to operate.

I accomplish these and other objects by forming the band or strap of a strap element, a loop and a catch, the loop positioned at one end of the strap element and the catch being formed of a pin seating means and'a frame having grip-- ping jaws retaining the frame in static position and a slot acting as a seat for the pin, the pin being positioned at the strap end removed from the loop and the frame being positioned intermediate the strap ends, the slot being located in the frame in such a manner that the Wrist must be contracted to permit the pin to enter the slot and the subsequent position of the pin in the inner part of the slot being such that the normal condition of the wrist retains the band or strap in a comfortably snug condition.

In a variation of the invention I provide a resilient yet stiff end to the portion of the strap carrying the pin in order to aid in the releasing of the pin from the slot.

For further comprehension of the invention, and the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description, the accompanying drawings,. and the appended claims in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth:

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a wrist Watch strap or band showing the back of a wrist watch, the band comprising a strap element, loop and a clasp.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary enlarged detail of the strap shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a plan view, partly broken away, showing a variation in the structure of a strap end bearing a catching pin.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view along the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

In the drawings and in the specification, in which like numbers indicate similar elements, a band or strap l0, shown in Figs. 1 to 3, is formed of a strap element l l, a loop [2, a pin I3, a catch i l and a wrist watch 15. The watch is shown to indicate a possible use of the band and is positioned in and secured to the strap intermediate its end.

The strap element l l is formed of any suitable, pliable resilient material, such as leather, plastic or composition, and bears the loop 112 .and .pin #3 at its oppositie ends and the catch 14 intermediate the ends, but in the vicinity of the loop end.

The pin 13 is secured and held firmly to the strap element by means of a collar I6 which extends over and grips thestrap end. The ends ll of the pin extend beyond the sides of thestrap in order to co-act with the catch, and together with the strap, act as a clasp. It should be recognized that side extending ears or lugs formed integral with the strap or with the collar would serve the same purpose as the pin and co-act equally well with the catch. The loop [2 is secured, but loosely held, to the strap element l l by a collar l8, similar to the collar 16.

The catch Hi is formed of a frame l9, articulatable jaw capable of engaging the strap, and a pair of slots or a guideway 2| suitable for seating the ends of the pin H. The frame I9 is provided with a base or back member 22 and upstanding arms 23 positioned at either side of the base. tween the arms. The jaw 20 is rotatably suspended between the arms and is provided with a downward extending element 24 which, With the base, grip both sides of the strap to hold the catch and strap firmly in position. A finger grip lift 25 secured to the upper end of the element 24 provides a means of disengaging the jaw elements, thus releasing the strap to permit adjustable positioning of the catch.

The slots 2| are positioned one in each arm and each extends downward from its entrance in the upper edge of the arm and away from the jaw 20. The direction of the said slots 2| is, as Figures 1 and 2 clearly show, in non-intersecting relation to the jaw 26 when in its holding position, so that the pin I3 will clear the jaw When being operatively moved in .and out of the slots.

The catch is positioned on the strap with its slots extending toward the strap and toward the loop end of the strap. Thus the circlet formed, when the strap is about to be closed, is a little smaller than when the pin is finally seated in the inner ends of the slots. The flesh about the wrists provides enough give and elasticity so that the strap can be easily forced close and then will fill in the excess space and hold the strap snugly comfortable.

It should be noted here that the strap or circlet relies on the elasticity and compressibility of the fiesh to hold the catch or clasp together, and so the described clasp has been formed without a spring or other usual positive locking means.

The pin end of the strap extends through the loop and so forms a band circlet of the strap. This circlet cannot .come apart as the pin is longer than the opening of the loop. Thus, there is no chance of the band slipping or slid- The strap rests on the base and ibeing sidewise on the wrist during positioning on the arm.

A strap end 26, shown in Figs. 4 and 5, is formed with a strap element 21, a collar 28 and a pin 29. The strap element is formed with a springy, elastic and somewhat stiff body 30, such as spring steel, in order to increase the stifiness of the strap in the vicinity of the pin. The strap end, when so formed, can be easily removed from its seated position as the extreme end bearing the pin can be lifted from its resting position when the strap is grasped somewhat to the rear .of the end. If the material were limp and had no stiifness whatsoever, it is evident that the strap would have to be grasped at the extreme end inorder to lift the pin from its seated position.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiment and one modification of my invention, it is to .be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise construction herein disclosed and the right is reserved to all changes and modifications coming within the scope of 'the invention as defined in any or all of the appended claims.

Having thus described .my invention, what I claim as new and novel and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

1. .In a wrist circlet, two overlapping straps, two laterally extending pin portions at the end of one of said straps, and a catch member slidably mounted :upon the other strap, said catch member having two oppositely disposed upstanding walls, a base 'therebetween and a gripping jaw movably mounted upon said walls and dis posed therebetween, the jaw being movable to a predetermined holding position, the adjacent strap portion of the catch member being positioned between the base and jaw, the jaw having a gripping arm adapted for pressing engagement with the adjacent strap when the jaw is in said holding position, whereby the catch member is frictiona'lly secured to its strap; the upper edges of said walls having inclined portions with which said two pin portions are slidably engageable, and seating means for the pin portions at the lower terminals of said inclined portions, said inclined portions each being sloped in a direction non-intersecting with the jaw when it is in said holding position, whereby the said pin portions will avoid contact with the jaw when being operatively brought in and out of engagement with the said Walls.

2. In a wrist circlet, the combination according to claim 1, the said walls having slots therein, said inclined portions constituting the lower walls of the slots, the lower terminals of said slots constituting saidseating means for the pin portions.

3. In a separable connection for a wrist circlet of the class described, va catch member and apin adapted for detachable engagement therewith, the .catch member having two opposite upstanding walls and ,a gripping jaw movably mounted thereupon and disposed therebetween, the jaw being movable to :a predetermined holding position, the upper edges of said walls having inclined portions with-which-the opposite end portions of said pin are slidably ngageable, and seating means for said pm .at the lower terminals of said :inclined portions, said inclined :portions each being sloped in .a direction non-intersecting with the said jaw when it is in said holding position, whereby said pin will avoid contact a with the jaw when being brought in and out of operative engagement with the walls.

4. In a separable connection, the combination according to claim 3, the uppermost edges of said walls being higher than the uppermost portion of the jaw when in its said locking position, to permit clearance of the pin over the catch member when said pin is in engagement with the upper edges of the walls.

5. In a separable connection, the combination according to claim 3, the said walls having slots therein, said inclined portions constituting the lower walls of the slots, the lower terminals of said slots constituting said seating means for the said pin.

CHARLES B. GREENBERG.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,797,583 Milller Mar. 24, 1931 FOREIGN PATENTS 10 Number Country Date 432,577 Great Britain July 30, 1935 517,749 Great Britain Feb. 7, 1940 

